


Still Here

by Blueeyedlistener



Series: Voltron Fics [Klance Related] [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Keith has a smoking habit, Keith is an unsafe driver, Keith is bad at words, Lance confesses in the worst location, M/M, OOC, Pining Confession after far too long, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), They're both just pining boys that need all the love in the world, college aus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-04 14:50:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13367004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueeyedlistener/pseuds/Blueeyedlistener
Summary: I had a friend pick a number and they chose 1,004 but I only made it to 757 words for this chapter. I'll work on making the rest of the chapters longer since I planned to do all of this in six chapters and this is chapter 4.Also maybe one day the titles will match the content. Not today.





	1. Chapter 1

"Don't you know that smoking is bad for your health?" Rolling his eyes with a scoff, Keith pulled the cigarette from his mouth and flicked some ashes onto the ground before taking another drag from it. "Your point?" 

The brunette standing in front of him holding his textbooks in his arms wore an expression of disappointment. That was a look Keith knew all too well; He saw it from everyone around him. His teachers when he started attending classes less and his grades went into failing levels, his older brother Shiro when Keith became more reckless. Hell, had he known them, Keith was sure his parents would have some reason to be disappointed just as well.   
"My point is you're going to ruin your lungs. Isn't there another habit you could pick up as a substitute?" His violet eyes met those of the brunette before him; They were blue. The same blue eyes that Keith had stared into more than once. The same blue eyes that reminded Keith the exact shade of blue that matched the ocean. The same blue eyes that Keith wanted nothing more than to wake up to in the mornings- "Probably. Though I won't." Keith threw the cigarette down onto the ground and stomped it out with his foot. "What was your name again, blue?" 

Earning an eye roll at the nickname, the other simply replied with 'Lance'.   
Right. Keith would have to do better to memorize that. 

"Right. Lance. Why do you care so much about my health and my habits exactly?" Lance tilted his head as if Keith had asked him to define the meaning of the universe. "Why don't you?" Keith let out a scoff. "I don't need this shit from anyone, much less you." Kicking down the kickstand of his bike next to him, Keith moved over to straddle the motorcycle as he revved it up. "See ya later, Blue." 

"Uh, the name's Lance!" Was all he could hear as it faded into the background as he drove away. 

| | | | | | | | | | | | 

"Back at it again with the lecture, huh?" Keith lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips, holding it as he placed the carton back into his jacket pocket. "Back at it again with slowly killing yourself, huh?" Lance mimicked, earning a scowl in response. "So Mullet, mind if I ask you a few questions?"   
"What did you just call me?"   
"Mullet. Your hair is awful. Anyways, that isn't important. Why don't you ever show up for class anymore?" Keith could see the confusion and wonder in those damned blue eyes and he could've sworn his heart was going to shatter. 

Lance shouldn't have asked. He shouldn’t have cared. He wasn’t supposed to care.   
“I’m not answering that.” He flicked some ashes onto the grass underneath him and ran his hand through his hair as best he could while holding a cigarette. “Come on! Why don’t you attend? Aren’t you paying for these classes?” A deep inhale and a smoky exhale. “Lance, was it? I’m not answering your damn question.”   
“Answer the question, Mullet!”   
“No!”   
“Why not-“   
“Because I don’t have to answer anything to anyone! Now mind your own fucking business!” Oh no. No. He shouldn’t have said that. He didn’t want to say that. Keith could feel the air leave his lungs and he was sure Lance had the same feeling. “Fine. Enjoy your death sticks.” Lance stared sullenly before turning to trek back off towards what Keith assumed was where his dorm was located. 

| | | | | | | | | | | |

The next week felt like pure hell. Keith always had trouble sleeping but it only felt like it had gotten worse. His appetite even decreased, which was a surprise more than it was a concern. Picking at his gloves that suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if they were trying to burn themselves into his skin permanently and he could’ve sworn he could feel every part of the fabric and how it scratched against his skin, Keith tried to wrap his mind around attending this class. It was only around the midterm, and maybe if he was lucky he could somehow pick up his grade but there was one problem with the entire thing.   
Lance. 

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Keith shook his head to clear his thoughts and drove off to class. It was already embarrassing for him to show up after nearly a month, but what was worse was being openly called out by the professor for being late, and seeing the look on Lance’s face when their eyes met and Lance’s expression turned hurt and he looked back down towards his notebook. He had messed up bad.   
The class was only supposed to be two hours but those two hours felt as if they drug on for a week, and Keith couldn’t even comprehend the words. He distractedly tapped his pencil eraser against the paper as his other hand was busy picking at the skin around his nails and his leg felt like it bouncing a million times a minute. The professor slammed his book shut and dismissed class and Keith lost all regard for his pencil and paper on the desk, sending them to the floor as he grabbed his bag and raced off to catch up to Lance. 

“Lance! Lance! Yo, Blue! Wait up!” Shuffling through the crowd of students and forcefully shoving shoulders with them, Keith couldn’t seem to catch up until time stopped and blue eyes were once again staring at his violet ones. “Let go of me, Kogane.”   
“Lance, let me ex-“  
“Let. Go. Of. Me!” Lance yelled, yanking his wrist of out Keith’s grasp and stumbling back a step or two. “Please. Please, Lance. Let me explain. I’ll tell you. I’ll answer anything you want me to. Just don’t make me do it here.” Lance’s silence felt like it was hours and although he knew he didn’t want to be near Keith, he also knew he didn’t want to be apart from him either. Grabbing Keith’s wrist, Lance didn’t speak a word as he dragged Keith down a few halls and pushed him into a dorm room and slammed the door. “You better speak and you better speak well, because at this point I’m not really sure how to understand you, Kogane!”   
Keith had to admit; He could see the tears stinging in Lance’s eyes and it hurt. Tears shouldn’t have been there. Keith’s hand rose up and his nails began to scratch at the jacket fabric covering his elbow.   
“…Well?. What do you want to know?” He shifted uncomfortably more and more with each second Lance remained quiet.


	2. Take a hint, Take a hint.

“…Well?.. What do you want to know?” He shifted uncomfortably more and more with each second Lance remained quiet. “Why do you have such an issue with someone caring about you?” Keith’s eyes glanced down and he searched for an explanation. Was there actually one? “I.. I guess.. I guess I have a hard time letting people in since my parents left... Outside of Shiro, everyone else just seems to leave.” Lance crossed his arms and nodded. “Okay. Doesn’t justify anything but okay. Why did you stop attending classes?” 

“I lost interest. There was nothing to gain. It was wasting my time.”   
“You’re paying for these lectures, dude.. You know what, that’s all I want to know. If you think all of this is just a waste of time, I want you to leave..” Lance opened the door and pointed out towards the hall. Keith stammered, completely dumbfounded by the action. “You’re g-gonna make a big deal about me not telling you the truth, and now you’re telling me to leave?!”   
“Exactly. Leave. Get out of my dorm. Go do whatever it is that isn’t a waste of your time apparently.” Keith stood for a moment before grabbing his bag and storming out of the room, Lance slamming the dorm door behind him. 

Classes grew more and more of an annoyance as time passed. Lance would sit in the middle of the class and seldom looked away from the front whereas Keith stayed to himself the south forty corner staring at a blank piece of paper with his headphones in. If he was going to act as if he was paying attention, he was going to make it suffer less. Class was dismissed and things would have been fine had he not suddenly gotten flipped over a lecture chair behind him. To be fair, he really should’ve been able to see the other classmate’s fist flying towards his face but almost a full week of all nighters was having Keith seeing things he shouldn’t and not seeing things he should. He flipped heels over head backwards and landed onto his back as the air left every bit of his lungs. It took no time for a crowd to form as Keith stood and landed a punch in between the other male’s eyes, sending him into another classmate. Out of the corner of his eye, Keith could make out Lance’s figure standing towards the back of the group with a mixed expression of concern but also as if he tried to make himself not care about the situation. 

Keith looked a second too long as his jacket collar was grabbed and he took a tumble down the stairs of the classroom, landing on his side at the end. _Focus Keith, Focus. Lance isn’t worried about you. He never was. He’s just like everyone else. He’s just going to leave.”_

Keith isn’t quite sure when the kicks stopped after that, but he seemed content to stay at the edge of the staircase in a fetal position while the others stepped over him with an occasional kick. Guess he deserved all of this, huh. He glanced up as a figure stood over him and set his bag against him before sighing softly and leaving along with the rest. The hint was clear and he forced himself to get up, grab his bag, and made his way to his bike to leave while pulling out a cigarette and lighter and started to light it.


	3. Make me (Cry)

|The hint was clear and he forced himself to get up, grab his bag, and made his way to his bike to leave while pulling out a cigarette and lighter and started to light it. |

Keith cursed as the rain started to pour from the dark gray clouds looming overhead and he kicked the kickstand up and straddled the bike as he revved it up. He wasn’t quite sure what hurt more at the moment in time; The soreness he was gaining from the small beatdown he had just received or the emptiness he felt in his chest at the fact that he was confident Lance hated him now. 

The wind blew Keith’s hair around wildly as he left his helmet off. Something about the burning sensation as every drop of rain pelted against his skin reminded him that he could feel something even if it was only pain. He struggled to see even a step in front of him and his clothes were drenched as if he had jumped straight into a pool.   
Lance slammed his dorm room door and plopped onto the bed as he exhaled a loud groan. Rubbing his face with his hands, his eyes stared up at the same white ceiling that he had imprinted into his mind all too many times before from when he couldn’t fall asleep. There wasn’t a desire to be angry with Keith but there was something there. Was it anger? Hurt? Lance couldn’t place it but his emotions were at war. When he heard the old familiar revving of Keith’s motorcycle, he didn’t make much of an effort to move to the window. Lance was sure Keith hated him by this point and he wanted to fix it despite the doubt lingering that it was unfixable this time. 

Damn. He just had to fall for everything about him. “Damned Kogane. You just had to know how to use those looks.. Those cursed violet eyes, that awful but yet amazing mullet.. that damned jacket and gloves you wear. Why did I have to fall for you and go and screw things up?!” He let out another groan and closed his eyes. 

Keith swerved in and out through traffic, not giving any care that the roads were practically unable to be seen through the rain much less the other drivers not being able to see him at all. Something about the danger gave him a rush of adrenaline and that was what he deemed necessary to get Lance off his mind; If only it had worked. No matter how hard he tried to focus on anything else, anything that didn’t involve the color blue or remind him of that shade of blue Keith had grown to love so much everytime he stared into Lance’s eyes or that damned cheeky grin Lance would show when he made a stupid joke he thought was funny- Keith shook his head and sped up his bike to go as fast as the bike could manage but it still wasn’t fast enough. 

He should’ve heard the horn. He should’ve seen the headlights. He should’ve been able to swerve out of the way. 

_“Shit!-“_ Keith tried to move but the car was coming around the corner too quickly. The car hit him as he was sent tumbling over the car and crashed to the ground with a loud thud and a scream as his bike was sent spinning to the closest median. There was too much going on to process but Keith knew quite a few things for certain. One, the rain had definitely gotten harder and felt excruciating against his skin. Two, there was yelling from multiple directions. Three, He couldn’t breathe and he was confident at least one thing was broken. 

_Four, He was confident he was going to die this time._

He did the best he could to roll over onto his back, yelling out as best he could while trying to catch his breath, and was thankful his tears would mix in with the raindrops so he could still at least fake it as if he still had his pride and dignity, and not that he felt completely dead inside and was crying as a result. 

It didn’t take long for word to spread around the campus. Keith had stopped showing up to classes again as well as any other events, and his bike had seemed to vanish into thin air. “As I’m sure many of you are aware, Mr.Kogane will no longer be joining us in this class for more than one reason. There will be counselors available all week as the school is required to have them for if any student feels the need to use the resource.” Lance was confident his blood ran cold. His heart felt as if it stopped and his mind spiraled into a million thoughts, his arm shooting up in the air, Lance practically jumping out of his seat. “Professor! What do you mean he won’t be joining us anymore?!” The other students began to whisper amongst themselves along with laughs mixing it as the professor stared at him blankly. “Well, Mr.McClain. You see, not only has Mr.Kogane been dropped from the class for absences, but he’s also been involved in a car accident which has been all over the news.” Shaking as his chest felt heavy, Lance quickly picked up his bag and sprinted out of the classroom without another word; He’d worry about what he missed later but right now Keith was his priority.


	4. Inner Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a friend pick a number and they chose 1,004 but I only made it to 757 words for this chapter. I'll work on making the rest of the chapters longer since I planned to do all of this in six chapters and this is chapter 4. 
> 
> Also maybe one day the titles will match the content. Not today.

> _|Shaking as his chest felt heavy, Lance quickly picked up his bag and sprinted out of the classroom without another word; He’d worry about what he missed later but right now Keith was his priority. |_

The taxi ride felt like it took far too long despite only being around ten minutes. Lance's mind wandered in every direction and he couldn't manage to get himself to stop shaking. The taxi driver tried to make small talk but the words only sounded like mumbles. When the taxi pulled into the area before the hospital doors, Lance quickly paid the fee and jumped out of the car with a door slam and raced inside to the front counter. He could see the looks from patients waiting in the lobby as well as loved ones waiting to see those behind the doors in hospital rooms but he couldn't find it in himself to care. As far as he was concerned, he wanted to make sure Keith was okay. No, he  _needed_  to know Keith was okay. 

"I'm here to see Keith Kogane! I was told he was involved in an accident." Lance slammed his hands on the counter although he hadn't really meant to. The nurse hesitated but stood with a sigh, waving her hand for Lance to follow her and her other hand holding onto patient files. If she had given any warning, Lance didn't pay a single bit of attention to it much less heed it. Rushing into the room proved to him that he wasn't as ready to see the sight as he had thought he was. 

The room was dead silent aside from the beeping of the machines and Keith's breathing. Lance stepped over and took a spot next to the railing as he glanced over Keith's broken shape. His face was covered with scratches decorated with stitches and bandages, bruises colored Keith's skin with varying shades of blue and purple mixed together as his left arm was being supported in a sling and his leg being bandaged up as it rested a little elevated to help with swelling. The nurse explained the injuries as well as the fact that Keith would be sleeping for some time thanks to the medicine they had given him for his open fracture of his tibia although Lance needed a few minutes to process those words. 

This was his fault. All of it. 

He shouldn't have told Keith to leave like that. He shouldn't have demanded answers and then threw Keith to the side. He should've helped him after that fight but he didn't; Instead, he had thrown his bag against him and turned to walk away just like everyone else. Keith was right; Everyone did just seem to leave him, and now Lance had become no better than that. Feeling something warm against his cheeks, Lance wiped his face and realized that he had begun to cry. His breathing quickened and he sat down, resting his head in his hands as he allowed himself to quietly sob beside Keith. Time felt like it couldn't have passed any slower, and Lance's head pounded as he tried to settle himself down. Crying wasn't going to help Keith get better and it sure wouldn't fix things. He stared at Keith's hand for minutes before taking a deep breath and forced himself to take Keith's hand into his. Something about it felt.. right. 

Lance had realized it was confirmed that he did have feelings for the mullet-haired boy, after all. He knew they were there, but maybe he had decided it was better to not acknowledge them. Maybe he had been scared to get rejected. Maybe he had been scared to ruin whatever it was that the two had between them but he knew it was clear that something would have to give. He'd have to confess once Keith was better and out of this forsaken place. Holding onto Keith’s hand gently, he rested his head on his arm against the railing and traced soft patterns on the back of his hand and allowed himself to speak, although he knew there would be no answer. 

"You may not be able to hear me but I'm so s-sorry... Th-this is all my fault... I shouldn't have treated you like that... I should've listened... I'm no better than the others. You were willing to answer everything and I completely tossed you aside. I refused to hear any more of your explanations and made you leave. I'm such an idiot.." 

Closing his eyes, he was quiet only for a few seconds before he quickly jolted upright in attention and pulled his hand away from the other male’s with widened eyes as a hoarse, pain-filled voice spoke up.   
  
"What are you talking about?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to send me write any other fanfics for these two, feel free to send me any prompts or ideas, whatever it may be, to my tumblr @arimaewrites. I'm always open to feedback and future prompt ideas!!


	5. I never meant to hurt you

“K-Keith! H-How are you feeling?” Keith shifted a bit as best he could despite the wires moving every which way that made it difficult for him and he eventually decided to just give up and rest his head back on the bed.

“Outside of the medicine which I’m pretty sure is starting to lose effect, I guess I’m just peachy,” He turned to face Lance, noticing the puffiness in his face from what Keith assumed was crying. “Regardless, what are you going on about over there, Blue?”   
Earning a few head shakes from Lance, Keith couldn’t help but frown. “Aw come on, you were clearly going on about something before I spoke up. Something about this being your fault or something, I’m assuming. I only caught part of it,” Chuckling, Keith rolled his eyes for a moment before continuing. “Although, I gotta admit you can indeed be an idiot sometimes. This wasn’t one of those times.”

“I demanded answers and then pushed you away.”

“It’s whatever. Don’t worry about it.” 

“It’s not whatever, Keith! Why can’t you understand that?” 

Silence took over the room for what felt like an eternity but was actually two minutes. Keith let out a sigh filled with sadness but also frustration. He knew didn’t want to talk about it but he also knew he had to. If he had any hope of being something more to the mocha-skinned brunette before him then he would definitely have to open up more and if that meant getting hurt by Lance again, well, Keith would learn to deal with it as many times as it took. “You aren’t the first one that’s ever pushed me away so chill out.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I’ve already told you,” Keith rolled his eyes and glanced towards the window in the room and tried to focus on anything outside that would distract him. “Everyone in my life almost has turned around and left me behind, so what you did wasn’t any different.” 

Okay, Lance knew that was fair but he couldn’t deny it also stung. Sure he had started to leave Keith behind due to his own selfish reasons, but to be classified in the same category? Ouch. He really needed to fix this, and he needed to fix it now. “Keith, Listen, I’m s-“

“Save it, Lance. It isn’t needed.”

“Yes, it is now shut up and listen, Kogane!” Keith stared at the brunette with a look of surprise rather than anger. Maybe he was in too much pain to be angry, but Lance doubted it. He’d definitely hear the end of this soon. “Alright. I’m listening.”

“Since you showed up to class that first day, I kept having these thoughts. The problem is, you’re the only thing filling these thoughts! There was something about you that I couldn’t overlook. Maybe it was that damn jacket and glove combo you wear, or those damn violet eyes of yours, or even the way you thought you looked so cool when you’d lean against your bike while smoking a cigarette that made my heart want to beat out of my chest and the way it skipped beats when you spoke to me.” 

“Lance-“

“Then you stopped showing up to classes but I’d still see you in that same exact location every single day! We’d talk like nothing was going on, but every time I was falling more and more for you! Then I decided to act like a dick and I pushed you away, not even bothering to take into consideration how you-“

_”Lance-“_

“felt and pushed you away and god, this is all my fault. I’m such an idiot.” 

“I won’t deny that much but I need you to listen to me, Lance. First of all, find a nurse. This medicine wore off a bit ago and this pain is starting to kill me over here. Second, stop blaming yourself for this, drama queen. You weren’t the one driving the motorcycle in the pouring rain, speeding and forgetting to yield to a turning lane.” Lance nodded before quickly going to find a nurse and returning. 

“Why didn’t you tell me the medicine wore off sooner?” Lance had to admit, he felt pretty crappy. Here he was, spilling out how he felt and he had somehow completely forgotten Keith was the one broken in multiple places stuck in a hospital bed. His problems shouldn’t have been the priority, he had came to make sure Keith was okay and instead decided he needed to spill out his guts. 

“I tried.” 

“You did?”

“You were busy ranting,” Keith rested his head back with a wince as the pain started surging through his body, the medicine not yet kicking in. “and I figured it was the least I could do to let you finish.” 

“You’re an idiot, Kogane.” 

“Well, you see,” Keith turned to now look at Lance, and couldn’t help but chuckle through the pain as Lance’s expression started to resemble one as if his puppy had been kicked. “I also wanted to make sure I was aware enough to remember this.” 

“Remember wha-“

“That I made a promise on this day that I’ll take you out on a proper date once I’m out of this forsaken place and I’m able to walk and drive again.” Watching Lance stutter and fade through every possible shade of red was entertaining for Keith. It wasn’t how he had originally planned but he decided it would be good enough for now. 

“They said I’d need a few weeks of physical therapy for my leg to help me be able to walk again, but once it’s better, I’ll make sure to take you out so you better have an answer to where you want to go by then. Got it, McClain?” 

“Keith, you’re forgetting your arm is broken as well.. A-and.. A-Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” 

“That it seems I’m as hopelessly in love with you as you are with me? If that’s what you mean, then yeah, that’s _exactly_ what I’m saying. I’m also saying I’d love to take you out on a date if you’d allow me to do so.” 

“This is not how I ever pictured a confession going. I’ve pictured it many times but never like this.” Lance shook his head with a chuckle of disbelief. This was nowhere how he had imagined but yet, it was happening. Keith simply shrugged and chuckled softly at the comment, his eyes starting to feel heavy as the medicine took effect over him. Yawning, he waved his open hand to motion to Lance. 

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Just get over here. My hand’s cold and your hand’s soft and warm, and I’m tired.” 

“You could’ve just told me to hold your hand,” Lance smiled and took his seat, moving back next to the railing of Keith’s bed and slipped Keith’s hand into his and laced their fingers together. 

“Too easy.” Keith smiled before closing his eyes and drifting off into a peaceful sleep. 

“Sleep well, Mullet.”


End file.
